COLAN talks exclusively to the newly-crowned Welterweight champ Johny Hendricks in what is the first in a series of regular columns on the UFC here at dailyrecord.co.uk.

Johny Hendricks: "I'm on top and everyone is coming for me. Everybody in this division is talking something to me."

IN an exclusive for the Daily Record, I had a catch-up with newly crowned UFC Welterweight champ Johny Hendricks this week, discussing everything people want to know about "Bigg Rigg."

He won the title just under two weeks ago, the final chapter of his contender status and attempt to haymaker his way to the top of the UFC food chain. I remember watching Hendricks fight a few years back and being amazed by the power in his left hand. But his rise to the top has been rapid and I’m shocked how quick the landscape around him has changed.

Now the guy everyone wants to fight, he is taking some well earned rest after his five round decision win over Robbie Lawler and wants someone to emerge as his nemesis during his absence.

"I want a clear cut contender; I don't want numerous guys with a case. Out of Tyrone Woodley, Hector Lombard, Matt Brown and Rory MacDonald, they can all fight one more time and narrow it down to two. My division is tough, it's just so stacked, it sucks because any guys in the top 15 in the rankings could have a great case for the title shot. I fought all the top guys to get where I'm at, though I don't want anyone to go through as much as that for a chance."

Amazingly, Johny won the fight despite tearing his bicep in training before the fight, an injury that put the bout in jeopardy.

"The doctors say I have six weeks of initial rehab but I'm going off what my body allows me to do. During the fight, the pain never disappeared, but it didn't allow me to get the takedowns I wanted. So it turned out even better because we were able to stand up and put on a better fight for the fans, I’m just grateful I got my hand raised at the end."

As for the injury, he is confident he won't make the mistakes that led to the issue in the first place again.

"I've learned I can’t do everything I want to do. Quick turnarounds are tough on the body and with two five round fights back to back, I know more. The injury happened because my body was broken down. I need to ease into things so I'm not pushing too hard."

That shouldn't be interpreted as him saying he will fight less regularly, rather he is raring to go. I can tell he wants to defend his title and avoid the sort of jokes that Cain Velasquez faces because he fights so sparingly.

"Even with this injury, I can still fight three times in a calendar year, I love it and I've learned how to keep my body healthy. I feel good but I miss training, whenever you get injured like this you start tearing your hair out and aggravating your family."

I'm always interested to see how a fighter celebrates becoming one of the elite and possibly the best fighter in the world. I assumed that whether you win in Vegas or in Dallas like Johny did, you’d have some crazy afterparty. However, Johny told me it's not all that fabulous.

Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Johny Hendricks: "We were able to stand up and put on a better fight for the fans, I’m just grateful I got my hand raised at the end."

"The night after the fight, I went and got some chicken fried steaks. Ever since then I've tried to stay in the public eye and get stuff done around the house. I'm not the type of guy that can sit around so me and my wife are taking the kids to Germany this week."

I felt obliged to ask him about recent comments from welterweight contender Matt Brown who made waves by saying Johny's title winning fight was overrated. He hadn't heard the comments until I told him but his response was fitting of a champion.

"I don't care what he said. I'm on top and everyone is coming for me. Everybody in this division is talking something to me."

Before I sign off, I think I should mention the second ACL injury for Georges St-Pierre (GSP).

One of them is potentially career ending so it's going to be a battle for GSP to come back from two no matter how much of a freak athlete he is.

People may now to start to forget Johny's controversial loss to GSP because he's champ. But Johny would relish another shot at avenging that defeat and toppling the greatest welterweight of all time.

"I'd like to fight him, it's going to be a lot better fight than last time because we both adapt and learn. The fans would love if and it'd be nice to put everything to bed."